The Perils of English Country Walks

Copyright Siri Paulson, 2007

Five years ago, I went to England for Christmas.

I used to hike in the Rockies every summer with my family. So when I discovered there was such a thing as “self-guided walks”, I was thrilled. Three days of strolling through the picturesque English countryside like a couple of Romantic poets? Three nights of sleeping in bed & breakfasts in tiny villages? With our luggage driven ahead to the next night’s stay so we didn’t even have to carry it? And no giant tour bus whisking us from place to place at breakneck speed?

Sign me up! What could possibly go wrong?

Response: The Woman in Black

I will be the first to admit that I’m not a horror fan. But I am a fan of gothic stories, which is why I decided to see The Woman in Black (2012).

The Woman in Black (2012)

From a gothic perspective, this story has it all — a beautifully decayed manor house, a period setting, deadly supernatural occurrences, a skeptical outsider, a crazy woman, an isolated village full of people behaving strangely, a train, a harsh landscape (in this case a marsh). It also features some very creepy vintage children’s toys.